Japanese culture in spotlight as ‘Yokai Parade’ exhibition opens Jan. 20 at MTSU’s Todd Art Gallery

By Mike Davis

MURFREESBORO, Tenn. — Middle Tennessee State University’s Department of Art and Design will host “Yokai Parade: Supernatural Monsters from Japan” at MTSU’s Todd Art Gallery from Jan. 20 through Feb. 24.

An opening reception will take place at 2 p.m. Thursday, Jan. 22, in Todd Art Gallery, located in Room 224A inside Andrew L. Todd Hall, 542 Old Main Circle on campus. The public is invited to attend the free reception and art exhibit.

The major traveling exhibition is organized by The Japan Foundation, which promotes cultural exchange, in collaboration with MTSU’s Department of Art and Design, the Office of International Affairs and the Consulate-General of Japan in Nashville.

“We are honored to host Yokai Parade at Middle Tennessee State University,” said College of Liberal Arts Dean Leah Tolbert Lyons. “This exhibition reflects the strength of our international partnerships and the role a public university plays in bringing global culture and scholarship to our campus and broader community. Experiences like this expand perspectives, enrich education, and reinforce MTSU’s commitment to global engagement.”

Artwork from “Yokai Parade: Supernatural Monsters from Japan,” a traveling exhibition organized by The Japan Foundation, will be on exhibit Jan. 20 to Feb. 24, 2026, at Middle Tennessee State University’s Todd Art Gallery in Murfreesboro, Tenn. The gallery is located in Room 224A in Todd Hall, 542 Old Main Circle, on campus. (Images courtesy of The Japan Foundation)

History of ‘Yokai Parade’

“Yokai Parade” explores yokai, the supernatural beings that have shaped Japanese folklore, art and popular culture for centuries. Curated by Yumoto Koichi, a leading Japanese scholar of yokai and director emeritus of the Yōkai Museum in Hiroshima Prefecture. The exhibition traces the evolution of yokai from feared spirits to enduring cultural icons.

The exhibition features Edo-period prints and play materials, three-dimensional artifacts, illustrated manuscripts, and modern references to yokai in media and animation. More than 600 square feet of artwork and objects will fill the Todd Art Gallery, making it one of the largest exhibitions hosted on the MTSU campus.

“Yokai Parade” comes to MTSU through The Japan Foundation’s international traveling exhibition program. First organized in 2021, the program will continue through 2030, with multiple exhibitions touring cities worldwide each year. As a regional host, MTSU will serve audiences across the Southeastern United States during the spring 2026 tour period.

The exhibition supports MTSU’s focus on global awareness, cultural understanding and interdisciplinary learning. The artwork connects Japanese cultural heritage with contemporary audiences and engages students, faculty, educators and community members across the region, Lyons said.

Visitor parking information, including temporary permits for weekday visits, is available at bit.ly/MTSUparking, and a campus map is available at bit.ly/2026MTSUparkingmap.

For more information about the exhibition or MTSU’s international programming,

visit the Office of International Affairs at https://intered.mtsu.edu/

or the College of Liberal Arts at https://liberalarts.mtsu.edu/.

Free and open to the public, MTSU’s Todd Art Gallery hours are 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m., Monday through Friday. To contact the gallery, call 615-898-5532 or email ToddArtGallery@mtsu.edu.

— Mike Davis (Michael.Davis2@mtsu.edu)